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Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]

We will need a note, because I have a huge concern to ensure that the people whom we were trying to cover under the amendment—the people who are at various stages of the current naturalisation process—will not be caught by this. We want to ensure that they can proceed as they have been proceeding under the previous legislation. They should get their naturalisation and their citizenship under the rules that apply at the moment. I think that the Minister has said that transitional arrangements might apply to those people. I do not understand that, because it does not seem to make sense. I can understand that some people will apply between today and the commencement of Part 2 and may need transitional arrangements, but I am much more concerned that the people who are already in the system and are progressing their way through it should not be left in a situation where they have to start looking at Part 2 and finding that they cannot comply because they cannot do an activity, cannot speak Scottish and Welsh or cannot comply with other rules and are, therefore, trapped in a system that is changing in front of their eyes. It is important that retrospection does not get caught up in this. The noble Lord, Lord Avebury, cited a case that I have before me but did not worry the Committee with. That case left the Government looking not very clever, although I gather that they have been clever enough to manage not to implement the judgment. If this issue needs further clarity, I should be grateful for it, but I hope that I have been as clear as I can be about my concerns regarding those currently in the system and those who will apply before Part 2 commences and whether a different system will apply there. If there are to be transitional arrangement for the people currently in the system, I shall certainly return to this matter on Report.